Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

Maxa: Uh... well... I thought when I announced the list, you guys would be criticizing me, but I didn't expect my handsome guy and Kai would take the blame.

Yes.

Why was Maxière chosen to announce the list?

Because Trigault is still helping the team adapt to the new formation.

This formation is completely tailor-made for the team's players.

It could also be said that the team's players bought the players specifically to fit into this formation.

Even the players were surprised at how quickly they adapted to the formation.

Of course, this is on the premise that he trains with Deng Kai.

Before Deng Kai joined the training, the players were actually a bit unsure how to use this formation.

The main problem is that this formation has too many variations.

Without a commander's guidance, you might transform into 433, someone else into 451, and another into 325—that would just create chaos.

In the early stages of a new formation, the players' understanding of the formation is still insufficient, which is when a commander is most needed.

Viana is a good player, but his talent is his main strength.

His leadership is lacking both on and off the field.

Deng Kai likes this job.

They are also capable of doing so.

Therefore, the criticism from the outside world regarding Deng Kai's starting position is wrong.

What they should be protesting is why Deng Kai is the...core of this team!

Deng Kai: "Matthäus, drop back, be ready to play as a left center-back at any time."

Matthäus: "I don't want to play center-back; I want to be more involved in the game."

Deng Kai: "Our passing game is mainly completed by the center-backs. The center-backs can also initiate long passes depending on the situation. Are you sure you don't want to go over there?"

Matthäus fell in love with the position as soon as he arrived.

He used to play center-back, which was tough and tiring.

The center-backs in this formation are different; Matthäus has dropped back, turning the three-center-back system into a four-back system.

The ball was passed around between their four feet, then moved to both sides.

Cristiano Ronaldo paired with Viana, and Quaresma paired with Duncan.

If it doesn't work, we'll backtrack.

The defenders play like midfielders, but crucially, they don't experience the same pressure from the midfielders.

Cool!

Older people love playing football like this.

It's highly engaging and relaxing.

This is Van Gaal's U-shaped passing strategy in his Big Circle tactics!

Deng Kai: "Viana, after Matthäus goes down, you need to retreat a bit more."

Mateus: Explain yourself, where are you going?

Deng Kai: "Ronaldo's ability to break free in midfield is insufficient. If you play as the core player in this position, Ronaldo and I will cooperate. Drogba will also drop back, so you can play according to the situation."

Viana was very happy because this way he could switch positions with Ronaldo on the left, or push forward through the middle with the support of Drogba and Duncan.

This is the core playing style when the ball is on the left flank.

The key is that he doesn't need to run around and waste his energy.

Deng Kai: "Deschamps, after Matthäus goes down, you need to position yourself a little more centrally. You're our defensive anchor. But don't feel pressured; the defenders behind you are strong and provide quick support. You just need to slow them down."

"Play it safe. There's no need to fight tooth and nail or go toe-to-toe with them. We'll play a defensive game, and as long as you can buy us time, that's a successful defense!"

Deschamps: "Don't worry!"

You don't need to fight the opponent; you just need to block and intercept. This style of play is perfect for older players.

Besides, Deschamps is not a physically imposing defensive midfielder.

Deng Kai: "Quaresma, you need to drop back more. Deschamps' interceptions will directly pass to you, so you need a lot of possession. We need you to complete solo runs down the right flank; your brilliant dribbling shouldn't be confined to the attacking third."

"Dribbling, penetration, crosses from the byline, cutting inside and shooting—you have countless options. As our attacking wing player, you must do everything you can to break through the opponent's defense! That's the mission of the team's star player!"

Quaresma: "Leave it to me! Let me dribble from the back!"

Deng Kai: "No need for that."

Quaresma: "?"

Deng Kai: "You're our offensive core, we can't let you do the defensive work in the backcourt! It's such a waste!"

Quaresma beamed with joy.

This is what we call speaking, learning, teasing, and singing—oops, this is the art of language.

The key is that everyone buys into this, because Deng Kai isn't just a complete fraud.

By dropping Viana back, he indeed became the core of the left midfield.

But in reality, Viana also indirectly relinquished the right to shoot on the left flank, a right that now belongs to Ronaldo.

They made Quaresma drop even deeper, giving him almost the entire right flank. He did the hardest and most tiring work, and Quaresma was still very happy about it. That's the responsibility of a star player.

This limited Matthäus's forward runs, ostensibly to control the initiation of the game.

To play it safe, Deschamps' possession of the ball on the offensive end and during counter-attacks was reduced so that he could focus on defense. Deschamps, however, felt that Celtics were taking care of the young players.

As for the other young brothers, there's no need for so much sweet talk.

"Fonte! Move back a bit, you need to make room for Matthäus! But don't do it too early, to avoid creating gaps in the transition!"

"Barzagli, foul decisively. With Quaresma providing support, you don't need to push forward so much. Once your back is open, it's their playground. You need to be more cautious."

"Terry, your tracking speed is good, but don't make reckless tackles, or you'll completely lose track of your target. Our primary task as a defense is to hold firm, then come the winning possession! We don't need to get the ball from their feet; our goal is to delay, delay, and delay some more!"

"Drogba, drop back! What are you doing standing in the box? Hold off the others, you need to provide a pivot point for me and Viana to pass the ball out."

"Ronaldo, what are you standing there for? Charge! Keep attacking their defense on the left flank. When Viana or I pass you the ball, I expect you'll have already beaten their right-back! That's what makes you here!"

"Schmeichel, come out a little further. The defense will pass you back at any time. If you're too far away, they might be able to steal the ball. Your footwork is among the best of all goalkeepers. If you can't do it, then no one can!"

In this way, players on the team kept changing their positions, but everyone knew what they were supposed to do.

The formation may look chaotic, but the overall strategy in everyone's mind is becoming clearer.

……

August 31st, the first round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Boavista, last season's Portuguese league champions, kicked off their season with an easy victory, continuing their winning streak from the previous year.

Porto, led by Jardel and Deco, won 4-1 against their opponents.

Jardel scored twice, and Deco contributed a goal and an assist, showcasing his core leadership.

Benfica lost veteran João Pinto, but the "red buff" has nurtured talent. Nuno Gomez carried his good form from the European Championship into the league, contributing two assists and a goal to help the team narrowly defeat Guimarães 3-2.

The top three teams in the Portuguese league from last season have remained consistent.

Everyone is watching Sporting Lisbon's performance, the team that finished fourth last season.

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.